How to Speed Up Internet on a Windows PC
Quick answer
If only your PC is slow, look for apps using bandwidth in Task Manager, pause updates and sync, update the network driver, disconnect VPNs, and try a cable. If every device is slow, the problem is your network, not the PC.
Is it the PC or the network?
Run the speed test on the PC and on a phone in the same spot, one after the other. This simple comparison saves a lot of time:
- Phone fast, PC slow → the problem is the PC. The fixes below help.
- Both slow → the problem is your Wi-Fi or your connection. See why is my internet so slow.
- Both fast in the test, but the PC feels slow → it may be the browser, DNS or a specific website rather than your connection.
Fixes, quickest first
- Find bandwidth users. Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) → Processes, and sort by the Network column. Game launchers, cloud drives, browsers with many tabs and video apps are common culprits. Pause or close what's using it.
- Pause Windows Update and limit Delivery Optimization. In Settings → Windows Update → Advanced options → Delivery Optimization, you can turn off downloads from other PCs and set a bandwidth limit for background downloads.
- Pause cloud sync (OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox) during large transfers or important calls. Each has a pause option in its tray icon.
- Disconnect VPNs and test again. A VPN sends your traffic through another server, which often lowers speed and raises ping.
- Update the network driver. Get the latest Wi-Fi or Ethernet driver from the PC maker's support page or the adapter maker's website. Windows Update doesn't always offer the newest one.
- Forget and rejoin the Wi-Fi network, and prefer the 5 GHz or 6 GHz network if your router has separate names. See Wi-Fi bands explained.
- Reset the network stack from Settings → Network & internet → Advanced network settings → Network reset. You'll need to re-enter Wi-Fi passwords afterwards.
- Use a cable if the PC is far from the router or used for gaming and calls. See Wi-Fi vs Ethernet.
Check the Wi-Fi adapter
Older laptops and many desktop PCs have basic Wi-Fi hardware that can't keep up with a modern router. To see what yours is connected at, open Settings → Network & internet → Wi-Fi → your network's properties. Look at the protocol (Wi-Fi 4, 5, 6 or 6E), the band and the link speed.
- Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) or 2.4 GHz only: expect much lower speeds than the router can offer.
- Low link speed: the PC is too far from the router or behind thick walls.
- Desktop with no Wi-Fi card: a USB adapter may be the limit — some older ones are slow.
A modern PCIe Wi-Fi card or USB adapter can give an older PC a big boost, but a cable is still faster and steadier.
Browser and DNS checks
If speed tests are fine but web pages are slow to start loading, try another browser, disable extensions one by one, and clear the cache. Slow DNS — the service that turns names into addresses — can also delay the start of each page. Switching DNS doesn't change your download speed, but it can make sites feel snappier if your provider's DNS is slow.
Security software and power settings
Some antivirus suites scan all network traffic, which can slow fast connections. Check whether yours has a web-protection setting you can test with briefly. On laptops, "battery saver" modes can also reduce Wi-Fi performance — test while plugged in.
Watch your speed live
Our sister app Net Speed Meter shows your upload and download speed in the Windows taskbar, so you can see which apps are using your connection.
If every device is slow, see why is my internet so slow and how to improve Wi-Fi speed. Gamers should also read how to reduce ping.
Check after each fix
Change one thing, then run the speed test again from the same spot. If a fix makes no difference, undo it — especially driver changes and network resets — so you always know what helped. If nothing on the PC changes the result, compare with another device once more: the bottleneck may be your Wi-Fi after all.